Sorry if this was already posted. I was this on a Hip Hop thread on a Raptors board I visit. Preety real **** right here...
This was inspired by an email I received the other day from one of our many 'fans.' I normally don't put niggas on blast like this, and I hope homegirl ain't no manic-depressive that's gon' off herself after reading this or nothin, but I have a sneaking suspicion that her asinine *** way of thinking may be representative of many more LB 'supporters.'
She starts off with this:
As avid listeners of your guys' music...my boyfriend and I must say that we're a little disappointed in some of your newer stuff...what happened, guys? Please don't go mainstream on us! You guys are an inspiration to hip hop in these dreary days of "look at mai grillz" and "I gotz mad bitchez". We still have mad respect for all you've accomplished, and we'll most likely continue to be some of your biggest fans, but just remember to keep on keepin it real...you started your fan base in the underground, so don't forget about us!
I mean...waking every mornin with your hand on your dick may be ill in the mainstream world...
...but we here in the underground laugh when we hear rhymes like that.
Now mind you, her statement was cloaked in all sorts of "Us v. Them" generalizations that I've previously discussed in my "Hypocrite" blog…..and I seriously laugh at any ***** who still uses the phrase 'keep it real' in 2006….but nonetheless I humbly replied back to her with:
Sorry to disappoint......but we gon' keep doin' us regardless.
Peace,
Tay
I'm done with it at this point, but homegirl hits me back again on some ole rhetorical question **** with:
So basically what you're saying, is that despite some disappointment in the fan base that pretty much created your career, you're not going to recognize that fact, and continue to go down the road you're going, only to possibly lose some of your first and longest admirers for whatever reasons...
Am I getting all that correct?
Now, by this time, I'm starting to get impatient with this heffa for even coming at me like that….like I owe her some ****……but nonetheless, I humbly reply, YET AGAIN with:
I don't make music for 'the fans.' I make music for myself, first and foremost.
And if the music that I feel in my heart causes some people to leave, then **** it....I'll holla at y'all niggas..
I'mma keep doin' me.
Tay
At this point, I done damn near forgot about this ****, but homegirl comes back AGAIN:
I can understand that making music for yourself is a top priority, and I can respect that.
But going from ill music, like the tracks from The Listening, and then jumping to something whack, like some of the newer stuff on your new mixtape, it almost seems as if someone from Atlantic is pushing you guys to do something out of sync with what you originally started.
Once again, the whole 'Us v. Them' **** rears its ugly head….like, 'there's no way in HELL that my good ol' house ******s Tay and Pooh could actually LIKE that Neptunes beat……or that Bun B. verse…….say it ain't so!'……….But I understand where homegirl is coming from, because I usta be a young and misguided backpacker (read: music snob) like that……so I (barely) maintain my composure and reply to her:
'Whack' is a matter of taste.
What you call whack is what many other people (myself included) consider to be some of the best and most honest work of our short career.
Nobody at Atlantic is making us do anything....all the music you hear is out of me, Pooh, and 9th's own volition. If "Separate But Equal" is your last stop on the LB train, then fine.
Frankly, I think you need to loosen up the straps on your Jansport.
Peace,
Tay
You may notice that by this point, "Negro" has left the building. She wanted *****? ***** here now. © ol' boy from 40 Year Old Virgin… She replies with:
If you honestly think that your newest work is some of your best, then maybe you should cut that platinum chain from around your neck, because it's cutting off circulation to your brain.
I stopped reading right there yo…..I couldn't believe that heffa would make such a sweeping (and subtly racist) generalization like that…….
Ladies and gentlemen, I posted all these details because I wanted to truly show you why rappers sometimes hate their fans. THIS is the gift and the curse of being an 'underground' rapper, because underground rap fans can be like clingy girlfriends. They'll cook, clean, **** you into oblivion, and support you until the end…….but they want you all to themselves.
ALL. TO. THEM. SELVES.
So, the minute you wanna go out for a little while and shoot some pool with the boys
(i.e. a Lil' Wayne mixtape collab), that heffa is clinging to your feet at the doorstep screamin, "Pleeeease don't leave me……I know you ain't gon' neva come back! Cain't nobody luhhh you like I do!"
Bitch please.
In no way is this meant to disrespect our loyal fans who have bought, supported, and constructively criticized our work over the years. (And for the record, constructive criticism doesn't mean, "lemme tell you what I want you to do." Constructive criticism is, "lemme assess the situation, and give you my advice as to what will work best FOR YOU." There is a difference…) All of our true fans and supporters are always loved and appreciated.
This is for all the music snob, backpack *** niggas who wanna keep LB in a box and are scared of the slightest bit of change……..as long as the music is dope, why should it matter?
I don't consider myself a backpacker….I'm a 'head' more than anything else. Heads are the niggas I consider to be the best type of music listeners…..cats who can go from The Roots to Mos to Jeezy to Esthero to Tool to Radiohead to Daft Punk to 3-6 and not miss a step, because they appreciate good music for what it is.
Am I listening to "Laffy Taffy" in my iPod? **** no.
But at the same time, I ain't runnin up to the DJ in the club at 1:30 like, "Yoooo son…..you gotta run that new Belle and Sebastian joint!!!! That **** is so heavy in the streets right now!!!!"
C'mon, now…..
Trust me, if I wanted to do ig'nant….I could do ig'nant. I mean I could REALLY do ig'nant. "Cheatin" was just the tip of the iceberg.
There is an entire Percy Miracles album in my head that I've yet to record, because I actually want to make meaningful music and don't want Percy to become the Latka to my Andy Kaufman, or the "I'm Rick James, bitch!'" to my Dave Chappelle……but ****…..lemme find out that our biggest 'fans' are also some of our biggest detractors who we can NEVER satisfy……I'mma cross over to the darkside faster than you can say "Dem Backpo'ch Niggaz." That's the name of my fictional thug group I'mma start producing…..check for our debut album "Twainky Fo' Seb'm" on Dopespot Records/Money Laundering Entertainment......
So in conclusion, I'd just like to say right on to the real, and death to the fakers © Big Rube. And to shorty who wrote me all those emails, I hope this blog really opens your eyes to appreciate good music and stop categorizing. The only difference between mainstream and underground is number of records sold, because truthfully, all rappers want the same thing: money, hoes, and clothes, we just go about getting it in different ways. (Do female rap fans still honestly think that underground rap niggas is asking you back to the hotel to just 'chill' and discuss 'the culture?' At 3AM? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)
Life goes on, folks. And as always, I'mma keep doin' me……
She starts off with this:
As avid listeners of your guys' music...my boyfriend and I must say that we're a little disappointed in some of your newer stuff...what happened, guys? Please don't go mainstream on us! You guys are an inspiration to hip hop in these dreary days of "look at mai grillz" and "I gotz mad bitchez". We still have mad respect for all you've accomplished, and we'll most likely continue to be some of your biggest fans, but just remember to keep on keepin it real...you started your fan base in the underground, so don't forget about us!
I mean...waking every mornin with your hand on your dick may be ill in the mainstream world...
...but we here in the underground laugh when we hear rhymes like that.
Now mind you, her statement was cloaked in all sorts of "Us v. Them" generalizations that I've previously discussed in my "Hypocrite" blog…..and I seriously laugh at any ***** who still uses the phrase 'keep it real' in 2006….but nonetheless I humbly replied back to her with:
Sorry to disappoint......but we gon' keep doin' us regardless.
Peace,
Tay
I'm done with it at this point, but homegirl hits me back again on some ole rhetorical question **** with:
So basically what you're saying, is that despite some disappointment in the fan base that pretty much created your career, you're not going to recognize that fact, and continue to go down the road you're going, only to possibly lose some of your first and longest admirers for whatever reasons...
Am I getting all that correct?
Now, by this time, I'm starting to get impatient with this heffa for even coming at me like that….like I owe her some ****……but nonetheless, I humbly reply, YET AGAIN with:
I don't make music for 'the fans.' I make music for myself, first and foremost.
And if the music that I feel in my heart causes some people to leave, then **** it....I'll holla at y'all niggas..
I'mma keep doin' me.
Tay
At this point, I done damn near forgot about this ****, but homegirl comes back AGAIN:
I can understand that making music for yourself is a top priority, and I can respect that.
But going from ill music, like the tracks from The Listening, and then jumping to something whack, like some of the newer stuff on your new mixtape, it almost seems as if someone from Atlantic is pushing you guys to do something out of sync with what you originally started.
Once again, the whole 'Us v. Them' **** rears its ugly head….like, 'there's no way in HELL that my good ol' house ******s Tay and Pooh could actually LIKE that Neptunes beat……or that Bun B. verse…….say it ain't so!'……….But I understand where homegirl is coming from, because I usta be a young and misguided backpacker (read: music snob) like that……so I (barely) maintain my composure and reply to her:
'Whack' is a matter of taste.
What you call whack is what many other people (myself included) consider to be some of the best and most honest work of our short career.
Nobody at Atlantic is making us do anything....all the music you hear is out of me, Pooh, and 9th's own volition. If "Separate But Equal" is your last stop on the LB train, then fine.
Frankly, I think you need to loosen up the straps on your Jansport.
Peace,
Tay
You may notice that by this point, "Negro" has left the building. She wanted *****? ***** here now. © ol' boy from 40 Year Old Virgin… She replies with:
If you honestly think that your newest work is some of your best, then maybe you should cut that platinum chain from around your neck, because it's cutting off circulation to your brain.
I stopped reading right there yo…..I couldn't believe that heffa would make such a sweeping (and subtly racist) generalization like that…….
Ladies and gentlemen, I posted all these details because I wanted to truly show you why rappers sometimes hate their fans. THIS is the gift and the curse of being an 'underground' rapper, because underground rap fans can be like clingy girlfriends. They'll cook, clean, **** you into oblivion, and support you until the end…….but they want you all to themselves.
ALL. TO. THEM. SELVES.
So, the minute you wanna go out for a little while and shoot some pool with the boys
(i.e. a Lil' Wayne mixtape collab), that heffa is clinging to your feet at the doorstep screamin, "Pleeeease don't leave me……I know you ain't gon' neva come back! Cain't nobody luhhh you like I do!"
Bitch please.
In no way is this meant to disrespect our loyal fans who have bought, supported, and constructively criticized our work over the years. (And for the record, constructive criticism doesn't mean, "lemme tell you what I want you to do." Constructive criticism is, "lemme assess the situation, and give you my advice as to what will work best FOR YOU." There is a difference…) All of our true fans and supporters are always loved and appreciated.
This is for all the music snob, backpack *** niggas who wanna keep LB in a box and are scared of the slightest bit of change……..as long as the music is dope, why should it matter?
I don't consider myself a backpacker….I'm a 'head' more than anything else. Heads are the niggas I consider to be the best type of music listeners…..cats who can go from The Roots to Mos to Jeezy to Esthero to Tool to Radiohead to Daft Punk to 3-6 and not miss a step, because they appreciate good music for what it is.
Am I listening to "Laffy Taffy" in my iPod? **** no.
But at the same time, I ain't runnin up to the DJ in the club at 1:30 like, "Yoooo son…..you gotta run that new Belle and Sebastian joint!!!! That **** is so heavy in the streets right now!!!!"
C'mon, now…..
Trust me, if I wanted to do ig'nant….I could do ig'nant. I mean I could REALLY do ig'nant. "Cheatin" was just the tip of the iceberg.
There is an entire Percy Miracles album in my head that I've yet to record, because I actually want to make meaningful music and don't want Percy to become the Latka to my Andy Kaufman, or the "I'm Rick James, bitch!'" to my Dave Chappelle……but ****…..lemme find out that our biggest 'fans' are also some of our biggest detractors who we can NEVER satisfy……I'mma cross over to the darkside faster than you can say "Dem Backpo'ch Niggaz." That's the name of my fictional thug group I'mma start producing…..check for our debut album "Twainky Fo' Seb'm" on Dopespot Records/Money Laundering Entertainment......
So in conclusion, I'd just like to say right on to the real, and death to the fakers © Big Rube. And to shorty who wrote me all those emails, I hope this blog really opens your eyes to appreciate good music and stop categorizing. The only difference between mainstream and underground is number of records sold, because truthfully, all rappers want the same thing: money, hoes, and clothes, we just go about getting it in different ways. (Do female rap fans still honestly think that underground rap niggas is asking you back to the hotel to just 'chill' and discuss 'the culture?' At 3AM? BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)
Life goes on, folks. And as always, I'mma keep doin' me……
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